Gas operated vertically reciprocating cleaning agitator



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A 3 INVENTOR AW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,269,397 GAS OPERATEDVERTICALLY RECIPRO- CATING CLEANING AGITATQR Raymond J. Woods, Compton,Calif. (5343 Hackett Ave., Lakewood, Calif. 90713) Filed Apr. 28, 1964,Ser. No. 363,142 3 Claims. (Cl. 134-14l) This invention relates ingeneral to a cleaning device and, more particularly a cleaning agitatordesigned to immerse articles to be cleaned into a tank containing acleaning liquid or fluid. The principle of this invention is to insurecomplete cleaning of irregularly shaped art-icles such as carburetorsand the like by placing the same in a basket or other article supportingmeans and reciprocating the same vertically in a cleaning fluid. Anotherobject in this invention is in providing a simple cleaning device thatwill automatically isolate an article supporting means in a cleaningfluid.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple cleaning devicewherein the driving means is attached directly to the cover of the tankthereby providing greater efliciency.

Another object of this invention is providing a simple cleaning devicewherein a reciprocatory motion of the article supporting means isprovided by an actuator having a simple but automatic means forreciprocating the articles to be cleaned in the cleaning fluid. It is afurther object of this invention to provide a simple automatic means forcontrolling the flow of fluid to the actuator means. Numerous otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is betterunderstood from the following description, which, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the cleaning device;

FIGURE 2 is a partial side view showing the exterior of the actuatormeans and the top of the liquid containing tank;

FIGURE 3 is a full cross-sectional side view of the cleaning agitatordriving means;

FIGURE 4 is a side view in partial cross-section showing the connectionof the actuating means and the article supporting means to be describedin more detail hereinafter;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the cleaning agitator in partialcross-section;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the valve rod with adjustable flanges.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 10generally indicates a tank to which a cover 11 is fastened by means offlexible tabs 12. A fluid motor 13 for actuating and raising andlowering an article supporting means such as a basket in the tank 10 isfastened to the cover 11 by screws 14. The fluid motor comprises a block15 made of a suitable metal such as aluminum, the block has therein afirst cylinder 16 having a piston 17 and piston rod 18 situated therein,the piston rod being connected by screw fastenings 19 to a load carryingmeans such as a cross-bar 20. Piston rod 18 has a connecting means suchas a collar 21 rigidly fastened thereto such as by welding for thepurpose of operatively connecting the piston rod and a valve means. Thecollar 21 has a bifurcated extension generally indicated at for slidingengagement with the valve means which in the preferred embodiment is acylindrical rod 22. The cylindrical rod 22 is equipped with a flange orstop 24 at its upper end and a second lower flange or stop 26intermediate its ends. The sleeve section or bifurcated extension .25 ofthe collar 21 reciprocates between flange 24 and 26 slidably engagingthe rod 22. Collar 21 and flange 26 are shown in FIGURE 3 as beingsupported by cylinder head 23. The cylindrical rod 22, which may bereferred to as a trip rod, reciprocates in cylinder 27 in a fluid tightrelationship with the said cylinder so as to control the flow of fluidthrough ports 29 and 30 into fluid chamber 31 and .to control theexhaust of fluid through port 32. An article supporting means is in thepreferred embodiment the hooks indicated by reference numeral 33 whichare a part of rod members 64 that are connected to a load supportingcrossbar 20. In FIGURE 4 the crossbar 20 is shown as being threadedlyconnected to the piston rod at 19 and to the basket supporting rods at36. Annular groove 38 in the piston head may contain an O-ring to assurea fluid tight fit of the piston head against the cylinder Walls. Basketsupporting rods 34 that are attached to crossbar 20 pass throughopenings 39 in the cover for the said tank, the rods terminating in acurve ends indicated by 33. The Walls of the tank are indicated bynumeral 10. In FIGURE 5 the relative positions of the piston 17 and thetrip rod 22 are illustrated.

In the further description of the cleaning agitator the relationship ofthe collar 21, the section of rod 22 that is mounted in sleeve 25, saidsleeve being bounded by upper flange section 24 of rod 22 and lowerflange section 26 of rod 22 that is mounted in sleeve 25, may bedescribed as a lost motion connector. The lost motion connector sectionof the valve rod comprising members 22, 24, 25 and 26 are in thepreferred embodiment an integral part of the cylindrical rod 22 thelower sect-ion of which blocks exhaust port 32 when the rod is in thelower position.

In the operation of this agitator the fluid motor is shown in FIGURE 3with the piston in an inactive or lowest position. To start the cycle,by activating the piston, a suitable source of air or other fluid underpressure is attached at port 29 by means of a hose or other suitableconnection. Fluid under pressure enters through groove 28 and port 30filling chamber 31 and forcing piston 17 to rise, piston rod 18 risesthrough the aperture in the cylinder head 23. As the piston rod rises,connector 21 with sleeve or bifurcated extension 25 which is rigidlyattached to the piston rod 18 rise, causing the sleeve extension 25 tostrike flange member 24, which lifts valve rod 22. The lift-ing of rod22 causes groove 28 to be raised and therefore out of alignment withports 29 and 30 cutting off the supply of fluid through ports 29 and 30.At essentially the same time port 32 is opened by the raising of valverod 22 exhausting the pressurized fluid from the fluid chamber 31, e.g.the lower section of rod 22 blocks port 32 when rod 22- is in the lowestposition. As the driving fluid is exhausted the Weight of the articlesto be cleaned, and the article supporting means forces the piston roddown by gravity, the sleeve member 25 of the connector striking lowerflange member 26 which forces the cylindrical valve rod to seat. As thevalve is seated the annular groove 28 is again aligned with ports 29 and30 so as to permit the [flow of fluid under pressure therethrough andstart another cycle.

In one of the most preferred embodiments the cleaning agitator drivingmeans or motor generally indicated by 13 may be mounted on the lid of afive gallon bucket by means of screws 14, in such a case, the supportingrods 34 fit through aperture 39 in said lid. Any bucket and lid whichfastens thereon may be substituted or used instead of the five gallonbucket, for example, a six and one-half gallon bucket.

The flanges 24 and 26 located on the upper end of triprod or valve rod22 may be securely connected to said rod by means such as welding or anyother suitable means. On the other hand said flanges may constitute nutsthat are attached to rod 22 through screw threads so that flanges 24 and26 may be separated and spaced apart at any desired operative distance.

It most particularly is desirable that flange 24 be capable ofadjustment to a certain position along rod 22 so as to vary the distanceas desired between flange 24 and flange 26. When these flanges arecloser together the vibrational stroke or distance of vertical movementof the piston rod is shortened as is the vertical movement of the leadsupporting means. At the same time, of course, the rate of vibration isincreased. That is to say the number of cycles per minute is increased.On the other hand when flange 24 is adjusted to the maximum height alongrod 22 the vibrational stroke or vertical movement is a maximum and thenumber of cycles per minute would be in such a case reduced to aminimum. FIGURE 6 best illustrates screw threads that may run the entireupper portion of valve rod 27 thereby allowing adjustment of flanges 24and 26 that may be nuts.

It is through the lost motion connection made up of adjustable upperflange 24, adjustable lower flange 26, the section or rod 22 on whichthe flanges are mounted and the sleeve 25 which slides up and downbetween the said flanges along rod 22 that allow applicants to adjustthe cyclic rate of vibration and/or the distance of movement of the loadsupporting means.

During the time the sleeve or bifurcated extension is moving between theflanges or stops 24 and 26 it need not make contact with rod 22, and,consequently, does not raise rod 22 until the bifurcated extensioncontacts flange 24, nor lower rod 22 until it engages flange 26.

In the operation of this vibrator cleaning agitator the lifting strokeis, of course, provided by the driving fluid under pressure that causesthe piston and piston rod to lift the basket. At the termination of thelifting stroke, when port 32 is open to the atmosphere, the Weight ofthe article supporting means, the cross-bar and the loadacting by forceof gravity-force the piston rod with the attached connector downward. Inthis downward movement the sleeve 25 on this downward stroke engages thelower flange member 26 which in turn forces the valve rod to seat. Inthis seating action ports 29 and 30 are realigned and again allow fluidunder pressure to flow therethrough into chamber 31. As fluid underpressure rushes into chamber 31 the cycle is commenced again.

Groove 40 in valve rod 22 may be provided with an O-ring or othersealing means.

The piston 17 may be provided with a groove which may be fitted with afluid sealing means such as a piston ring or O-ring.

Piston 17 may be provided with an extension 41 that reduces the volumeof fluid chamber 31.

I claim:

1. A cleaning agitator comprising a tank, a cover for said tank, meansfor supporting articles, an actuator designed to impart verticalreciprocation to said means, said actuator comprising a block, a firstcylinder in said block equipped with a piston and piston rod designed toreciprocate in said first cylinder, said article supporting meansconnected to said piston rod, a second cylinder equipped with acylindrical valve rod to control the flow of gas to said first cylinder,an inlet gas port in said block communicating said first cylinder with agas supply, an outlet gas port in said block communicating said firstcylinder with the atmosphere, said second cylinder communicating withsaid inlet and outlet ports, said cylindrical valve rod slidably mountedin a sleeve, said sleeve being rigidly connected to said piston rod,said valve rod equipped with an inlet port, said inlet port in said rodcommunicating with said inlet port in said block.

2. The cleaning (agitator of claim 1 wherein a lost motion connectorcontrols the valve means,

3. The apparatus of claim wherein a lost motion connector controls thevalve means and the connector is adjustable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11,307 7/1854Snow 91-279 X 484,664 10/1892 Mesta l34-l41 X 2,741,253 4/1956 Bernieret al 134141 3,064,629 11/1962 Story 134141 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH,Primary Examiner.

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CLEANING AGITATOR COMPRISING A TANK, A COVER FOR SAID TANK, MEANSFOR SUPPORTING ARTICLS, AN ACTUATOR DESIGNED TO IMPART VERTICALRECIPROCATION TO SAID MEANS, SAID ACTUATOR COMPRISING A BLOCK, A FIRSTCYLINDER IN SAID BLOCK EQUIPPED WITH A PISTON AND PISTON ROD DESIGNED TORECIPROCATE IN SAID FIRST CYLINDER, SAID ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID PISTON ROD, A SECOND CYLINDER EQUIPPED WITH ACYLINDRICAL VALVE ROD TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF GAS TO SAID FIRST CYLINDER,AN INLET GAS PORT IN SAID BLOCK COMMUNICATING SAID FIRST CYLINDER WITH AGAS SUPPLY, AN OUTLET GAS PORT IN SAID BLOCK COMMUNICATING SAID FIRSTCYLINDER WITH THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID SECOND CYLINDER COMMUNICATING WITHSAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS, SAID CYLINDRICAL VALVE ROD SLIDABLY MOUNTEDIN SAID SLEEVE, SAID SLEEVE BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON ROD,SAID VALVE ROD EQUIPPED WITH AN INLET PORT, SAID INLET PORT IN SAID RODCOMMUNICATING WITH SAID INLET PORT IN SAID BLOCK.